1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an outdoor device including an outdoor fan and an air conditioner including the outdoor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
With a conventional air conditioner, when its operation is stopped, the fan in its outdoor device continues to be driven by the air conditioner for a certain time period in order to cool the electric components; and when the temperature of the electric components is equal to or lower than a set temperature, the outdoor fan's rotation is slowed or stopped. This causes the electric components to be cooled with low noise after the air conditioner's operation has stopped. For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H6-265199.
The conventional air conditioner described above is configured such that after the air conditioner stops operating, the outdoor fan is kept operating for a certain time period, and when the temperature of the electric components becomes equal to or lower than the set temperature, the outdoor fan's rotation is slowed or stopped. However, the temperature of the electric components changes differently depending on whether the outdoor fan is operating or not. Therefore, even when the temperature of the electric components is equal to or lower than the set temperature, sometimes the outdoor fan still needs to be kept operating.
Given that an air conditioner includes both high-heat resistant electric components with an allowable temperature above 150° C., such as a wide-bandgap semiconductor or a reactor, and low-heat resistant electric components with an allowable temperature equal to or lower than 85° C., such as an electrolytic capacitor, then while the outdoor fan is operating, air is circulating therein so that heat is not easily transmitted from the high-heat resistant electric components to the low-heat resistant electric components. However, when the outdoor fan stops, the circulation of air stops, which causes heat to be transmitted from the high-heat resistant electric components to the low-heat resistant electric components. Accordingly, the temperature of the low-heat resistant electric components may exceed their respective allowable temperature.
However, if the operation of the outdoor fan continues for a certain time period after the operation of the air conditioner stops, power is still consumed even though the air conditioner itself has stopped operating.